


Walk of Shame

by xYamiKawaitax



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, College, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Rhett, Hangover, Kissing, Love, M/M, Party, Unrequited Love, Walk Of Shame, link - Freeform, r and l, randl, rhett - Freeform, rhett and link - Freeform, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 05:11:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10712883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xYamiKawaitax/pseuds/xYamiKawaitax
Summary: Link picks Rhett up from the home of a one-night-stand, and Rhett can't work out why he's so mad at him.





	Walk of Shame

As Rhett sat back with his eyes closed, he felt every single jolt of the pickup. It felt like his brain was shaking around like the last tic tac in the box, and the racket was unbearable. He groaned out loud. This was the worst hangover he'd had in a long time. Why did college parties have to get so out of hand?

 

He opened one eye to peek at Link. He was still scowling over the steering wheel, glaring at the road like he was furious with it. 

 

They bumped over a pothole, and Rhett let out another groan of agony. 

 

"Come on, man, careful. I'm dying here." He complained, holding his forehead with his palm. 

 

"Yeah well." Link muttered. 

 

"What was that?" Rhett opened his eyes and turned his head to see Link. He was trying to work out what the hell he was supposed to have done. 

 

"Just pull yourself together dude." Said Link curtly. 

 

Rhett watched him for a second. It finally dawned on him that Link was properly mad. His teeth were grinding and his eyebrows were furrowed so tight he looked like he was going to pop a vein. 

 

"What's your freaking problem man?" 

 

A strange, sarcastic laugh danced out of Link's throat. His expression immediately dropped into one of incredulity. 

 

"Are you kidding me?" He turned to set his look on Rhett, his head cocked and his eyebrow raised. "Are you actually kidding me?" He shook his head and returned to the road. Rhett was about to speak but Link cut him off as he opened his mouth. 

 

"First of all, you got so drunk last night! You were a total asshole. And secondly I am not your frigging taxi service! Next time you go home with some random guy, do the walk of shame like everyone else, I want no fuckin part of it."

 

Rhett was stunned. It wasn't like link to swear, not unless he really meant it. Then, as the shock wore off, Rhett was mad. 

 

"Dude you didn't have to come get me! You coulda said no!" He yelled, immediately wincing and holding his head afterward. 

 

"It's not about that!" Link defended. 

 

"But you just said it was!"

 

Link shook his head bitterly. There was a long pause as he resumed his staring contest with the tarmac speeding beneath them. 

 

They were at their destination before they spoke again. Link pulled up to a stop outside their home and shut the engine off. Neither one of them moved. There was a silent agreement between them to never let an argument travel. If it happened in the car, it was resolved in the car. No bringing that shit into the house. 

 

Link sighed and shook his head, at last managing to speak. 

 

"I just can't believe you had _sex_ with that guy, Rhett." He said in a low voice, staring out the front window. 

 

Rhett wasn't quite sure how to respond. 

 

"I'm sorry?" He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. 

 

"It just doesn't seem right." He was still not looking at him. 

 

"Are you fucking serious?" Rhett was bristling now. He had always thought Link had his back. He was supposed to be his best friend! "Look man, if you have a problem with me being this way then you should have said so a long time ago!" He folded his arms and threw himself angrily back into his seat. "You'd have saved us both a lot of time and trouble." He added sulkily.

 

Link turned in his seat, his mouth agape, his eyes wild. 

 

"Rhett, are you stupid or sumthin?"

 

There was another long pause. Rhett's head was struggling to get around this conversation, he was too tired and hungover to keep up. 

 

"Do you think I'm mad because you're gay?" Link was astounded. 

 

Rhett shifted uncomfortably in his seat. 

 

"Yes?" 

 

Link laughed suddenly. His shoulders shook and he threw his head back. 

 

"You freaking idiot, man." He wiped a tear from his eye. 

 

Rhett smiled too, the sight of Link laughing was always enough to set him off. 

 

"What's funny...?" He asked, trying to hold in the laughter. 

 

"You." Link smiled and gazed over at him. "I can't believe you've made me laugh. I really, really want to be mad at you right now."

 

"But why?" Rhett cocked his head, putting on his best puppy eyes. 

 

"Because." Link said, his smile fading again. 

 

"Come on, man. What is it? You can tell me." 

 

Link sighed heavily. 

 

"You were all over that guy at the party. It was... it was...." he gave a loud huff. "It was really hard to watch." He looked down at his hand and started fiddling with the bottom of his shirt. "I felt so invisible! I was totally on my own, sat in the corner, watching you slobbering all over each other."

 

"I'm sorry Link, I didn't mean to leave you on your lonesome." He gave him a soft smile. "I promise I won't do it again."

 

Link rolled his eyes.

 

“You still don’t get it, do you?” He laughed and shook his head. “For a smart guy you sure are dumb sometimes.”

 

“I don’t follow, man.” Said Rhett apologetically.

 

"Rhett. I'm going to spell this out to you. And I'm only going to do it once." He looked him dead in the eye, and spoke slowly and carefully.  "I was jealous. Of him. Whatever his name was. I wanted to be him so badly. To be the focus of your attention. To be the one whose throat you stuck your tongue down. To be the one you woke up next to this morning." He sighed again. "I know it sounds dumb. But I think I love you."

 

There was a long pause as Rhett’s alcohol soaked brain absorbed that information.

 

“You love me?” he asked quietly.

 

Link just gave a single nod in response, his eye fixed firmly on the wheel in front of him.

 

“How long?”

 

Link shrugged.

 

“I dunno. A while. Since high school I guess.”

 

“Since _high school_!?” Rhett burst, making Link jump.

 

“Yeah. I guess so.” Link wriggled uncomfortably.

 

“I can’t even…” Said Rhett shaking his head. “All this time? Why didn’t you say?”

 

Link shrugged again.

 

“I dunno man!” He said defensively. “I didn’t even know where to start!”

 

“Link, do you remember the day I told you I was gay? Do you remember that conversation?”

 

Link nodded.

 

“Christ, it’s hard to forget, you were being so damn dramatic about it.” He rolled his eyes again.

 

“I told you because I wanted to ask you out!” He threw up his arms in exasperation. “But you got so weird about it I chickened out!”

 

“Are you kidding me?” Link asked, finally turning to make eye contact with his friend, not quite believing his ears.

 

“No!”

 

“Well why didn’t you say something!?” Link asked, balling his fist onto his hip.

 

“Why didn’t you!?” Rhett shot back.

 

They both sat back, entering into an angry silence.

 

A few moments passed and a calm descending over the pickup.

 

“Link?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Can I kiss you?”

 

He fidgeted in his seat a little as he answered.

 

“I s’pose.”

 

Rhett unbuckled his belt and crawled over the seat dividing them. He put a finger under Link’s chin and turned his head to look at him. Their eyes met, and then so did their lips.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I just love writing openly gay Rhett. Alternate Universe FTW! Thanks for reading!


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